Method and apparatus for packaging bags



May 27, 1969 J. SALOMON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING BAGS Filed Sept. 19. 1966 Sheet A tlorneys y 7, 1969 J. SALOMON 3,445,930

' METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING BAGS Filed Sept. 19. 1966 Sheet 3 of 2 L H r u I J I I F i i 4 j D I I .1 I

3 rd/J I I a 35 ,8 y I D 1:] 28 g I In venlor United States Patent US. Cl. 53-26 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention provides a method of packaging bags and apparatus therefor, in which flat bags and spacer elements are fed to the pockets of a star wheel comprising a rim, a pair of spaced flanges and a plurality of Wings which are 'readwardly inclined with respect to the direction of rotation of the wheel. The bags and spacers are extracted from the pockets and placed on a radially extending guide where packages are formed each comprising a group of bags delimited by successive spacers. The spacer elements may proceed to the far end of the guide and be returned for reuse or may be included to form ends of individual packages.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for packaging bags such as tea-bags, sachets or similar articles.

In the packaging of bags such as tea-bags, sachets or similar articles containing a pulverulent or fluent material, it has hitherto only been possible to put the bags by hand into a box or the like for transit and for display purposes. This packaging operation is one which involves a considerable amount of manual labor and it is therefore extremely expensive. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for overcoming this difliculty.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of packaging bags which comprises feeding the bags to the individual pockets of a star-wheel (as hereinafter defined), extracting from the star-wheel the bags onto a substantially radially extending guide, rotation of the star-wheel moving the successive bags alone the guide by pressure of the wings on the first bag on the guide, and forming a package about the bags.

By star-wheel is meant a wheel having spaced apart flanges mounted for rotation about an axis, an inner rim spaced inwardly from the periphery of said flanges and extending between the latter, and a plurality of wings spaced around the rim between the flanges and each extending from the rim to the periphery of the flanges in a rearwardly inclined manner with respect to the direction of rotation of the wheel, the wings, rim and flanges defining therebetween a plurality of open-topped pockets. Preferably the wings are formed of two or three spaced apart thin metal elements which are outwardly convexed.

As the bags are fed into the star-wheel one falls into each pocke and after a particular number, say a dozen, bags have been fed a spacer element is preferably fed into the subsequent pocket. Extractors on the radially extending guide remove the bags and the spacers from the star- Wheel and, as the latter rotates the outer surface of the wings push the bags and interposed spacers along the guide in a face-to-face, upright manner. As the bags proceed along the guide they are collected together in equal groups between the spacers, the latter causing a small gap to be left between the end bags of adjacent groups. An operator may then simply drop a carton which is open at the bottom over the bags of a group and press it down so that the spacers are outside the end walls of the 3,445,980 Patented May 27, 1969 carton, or if desired one spacer may be included within one end wall of each carton.

Alternatively the spacers may take the form of two flat elements superimposed and lightly held to one another, so that, as the open bottomed carton is lowered onto the package,'the end walls of the latter sever the flat elements one from another so that a stiffener is provided which is included in the package and serves to strengthen it.

It is also possible, if desired, to cover each group of bags with a sheet of paper or similar wrapping material prior to placing the carton on the bags. Such a sheet of paper will then form part of the internal wrapping of the package.

In a further possible method of packaging according to the invention the groups of bags and spacers may be wrapped in a suitable material, for example a transparent thermo-plastic material, this material being secured to the spacers around their perimeter, the spacers then forming the end walls of a package.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for packaging bags, such apparatus comprising a star-wheel (as hereinbefore defined) means for feeding bags to the star-wheel and a radially extending guide provided with fingers for removing or extracting bags from the pockets of the starwheel.

Preferably, means are also provided for feeding, at suitable intervals, spacers to the star-wheel.

In order that the invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by Way of example, of one embodiment of apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevation of the ap paratus;

FIGURE 2 is a top plain view of the starawheel and guide of the apparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan of the spacer chute of the apparatus; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one form of spacer suitable for use with the method and apparatus of the invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a starwheel 10 rotatable, in the direction of the arrow, about an axis 11. The star-wheel comprises two side flanges 412 an inner rim 13 spaced inwardly from the periphery of the flanges 12 and eight wings -14. Each wing 14 comprises two spaced apart thin metal elements 15, which are inwardly concave and outwardly convex with respect to the axis of the wheel. FIGURE 2 illustrates the spaced apart relationship of the elements 15 more clearly.

A radially extending, in this case horizontal, guide 16 is provided with three inwardly projecting fingers 17, which extend between the elements 15 forming the wings 14. The guide comprises an elongate channel section which has side walls 18 approximately 2" high for a short distance at the end adjacent to the star-wheel and further side walls 19 of about depth for the remainder of its length.

At the end of the guide 16 remote from the star-wheel there is provided a curved portion 20 which leads to a guide board 21 of curved form at this end and having a straight section 22, a further curved portion 23 underneath the star-wheel and an inclined straight portion 24 beside the star-wheel. The inclined portion 24 abuts the upper end of a slot 25 in a guide chute 26 the lower end 27 of which is closely adjacent the upper portion of the star-wheel. A gating arrangement 28 (see FIGURE 3) is provided with two prongs 29 and 30 which extend through apertures in the side walls of the channel-shaped chute 26 and is normally urged into position shown by a spring 31. Electromagnetic torsion means (not shown) are operatively connected to the pivot 32 of the gate 28.

A further chute 33 is positioned above the star-wheel for the passage of a continuous strip of tea-bags 34. In order to sever the tea-bags from the strip a cutter device 35 of any suitable form is arranged immediately above the guide chute 33.

In use of the above described apparatus the star-wheel 10 is caused to rotate in the direction of the arrow and tea-bags from the strip 34 are cut off and allowed to fall through the chute 33 into the pockets between adjacent wings 14 of the star-wheel. As the latter rotates the fingers 17 of the guide 16 remove the individual bags from the pockets as each wing rotates past the fingers. The rotation of the star-wheel allows the outside faces of the elements of the succeeding wing 14 to push each individual bag against the previously deposited bags on the guide .16.

After a predetermined number of bags, for example twelve, have been deposited in the pockets of the starwheel, a spaced element 36, which is shown in the form of a circular disc, is released from the lower end 27 of the guide chute 26. This is achieved by a counter mechanism energising the electromagnetic torsion means which causes the gate to pivot from the position shown in FIGURE 3 in a clockwise direction so that the prong 29 releases the first of the spacer elements 36, while the prong 30 engages the second spacer element and prevents it from dropping. When the electromagnetic torsion means are de-energised, immediately thereafter, the spring 31 pivots the gate back to the position shown in FIGURE 3 and the spacer elements all drop down one spacer length in the chute 26.

As a spacer is released from the lower end of the chute it falls into the pocket of the star-wheel in place of a teabag or a tea bag follows the spacer into the same pocket and will be extracted from the pocket by the fingers 17 as before. Thus, a spacer is inserted every twelve tea-bags and the latter move along in groups of twelve, spaced apart by a narrow gap equal to the thickness of the spacer. An operator then lowers an open bottomed, rectangular package 37 over the group thus formed and the spacer is left outside the package which may then be folded up as it moves along the guide 16. A completed package 38 is removed when it is ready and the spacer 36 slides down the inclined portion onto the guide board 21. A roller 39 urges the spacer along the fiat portion 22 and a series of these is eventually formed. This series continues around the curved portion 22 and up the inclined portion 24 so that when a further spacer element is added to the series the one at the top end of the board is pushed through the slot in the chute 26 and slides down to engage the top spacer in that series.

If desired, the spacers may be so arranged that one of them is included in the package so that the return arrangement 21 is not necessary but an alternative feed arrangement must be provided. Thus, the spacer could take the form of a cardboard token which may be used for advertising or instruction purposes if desired.

In an alternative form the spacer may be as shown in FIGURE 4 and comprise two separate sheets 40 and 41 lightly adhered together by any suitable means 42. Then when the carton 37 is lowered it passes between the two fiat elements 40 and 41 severs the connection 42 so that a flat element is contained in each end of each package, this assisting in stiffening of the completed package.

If desired, instead of using cartons 37 the spacers may be similar to the form illustrated in FIGURE 4 and the whole assembly may be wrapped in a suitable sheet material, for instance heat shrinkable transparent film, and the various packages formed by severing the spacer between the two flat elements 40 and 41. In this case, the fiat elements would be fairly thick to provide the necessary rigidity.

It may also be desirable to form a guide for the carton 37 being dropped by progressively folding outwardly the walls 19 of the guide 16 along the length thereof. Walls 19 would now be of the same dimensions as walls 18,

namely 2" high in the described embodiment. Such an arrangement would facilitate the operation of placing an open bottomed carton on each group of bags as the side for the carton.

If the speed of operation were increased considerably, or if the length of the line of bags on the guide 16 were to exceed 4 feet, it would be necessary to provide a conveyor arrangement to form the guide and assist in movement of the bags along the guide.

A fully automatic arrangement could include a continuous web of heat shrinkable film or other similar wrapping material passing along the conveyor guide and having the series of bags and spacers placed thereon. The side edges of the web could be folded upwardly and inwardly around the guide 16 in order to be heat sealed together forming a tube of film surrounding the series of bags and spacers. The film may then be sealed to each spacer, thereby forming a wrapped package comprising the required number of bags and two spacers situated one at each end of the package. Naturally the spacer shown in FIGURE 4 is most suitable for use with this apparatus.

Subsequently the square tube of film and the enclosed spacers and bags will be withdrawn from the downstream end of the guide 16 and then severed to separate the packages thus formed.

It may also be possible, if desired, to arrange the guide 16 to be disposed other than horizontally. In this case the star-wheel 10 would be situated at the lower end of the chute and the bags would be advanced upwardly along the guide.

Feeding of the bags into the bottom of such a vertical guide may be accomplished by arrangeing the star-Wheel to carry the bags through substantially a whole reveloution and to deposit the bags at the highest point of their travel.

More explicitly, if the star-wheel is rotating in a clockwise direction when viewed along an axial direction, then the bag will be fed to the star-wheel at approximately the 2 oclock position. The spacers may be introduced before or after (i.e. ahead of or downstream of) this position. As the bags pass around the wheel, the wings of the wheel will be urged to clasp the bag when passing between the 4 oclock and 5 oclock positions, and to return to their previous configuration between about the 11 oclock and 12 oclock positions, thereby enabling each bag to be extracted and placed at the bottom of the stack in the guide. Any suitable arrangement, tag. a cam, could be used to provide the movement of the wings between their bag retaining and bag clasping positions.

Clearly such a vertically extending guide would need to be of a tubular construction throughout substantially its entire length, instead of being an open channel section as illustrated. This would ensure that bags and spacer elements would be unable to be dislodged laterally and fall from the guide. The very bottom of the guide alongside the star wheel would be an open channel section in order that bags and spacer elements being added to the bottom of the stack would be free to be inserted laterally by the action of the wing elements 15 and extractor teeth 17.

Advantageously such an arrangement would include a vibrator device inducing vibrations of the vertical guide in a transverse direction so that the contents of each bag will be distributed within the bag to form a thin evenly spread layer rather than a wedge which is the case when using a horizontally disposed guide. This even distribution of material within the bag enables a smaller package to be used, as each individual bag will now have a smaller maximum thickness than would be the case with the wedge distribution referred to above.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for packaging bags, such apparatus including:

(a) a star-wheel comprising spaced apart flanges mounted for rotation in a given direction about an axis, an inner rim spaced inwardly from the pehiphery of such flanges and extending between the latter and a plurality of wings spaced around the rim between the flanges and each extending from the rim to the periphery in a readwardly inclined direction with respect to said direction of rotation of the wheel, the wings, rim and flanges defining therebetween a plurality of open topped pockets;

(b) means for feeding bags to said pockets of said star-wheel;

(c) a radially extending guide positioned adjacent said star-wheel;

(d) means for feeding spacer elements intermittently to the pockets of said star-wheel; and

(e) extractor fingers on said guide eifective to remove bags and spacer elements from the pockets of said star-wheel.

2. The apparatus specified in claim 1, wherein the guide is arranged vertically above the star-wheel.

3. The apparatus secified in claim 1, wherein said guide is a horizontally extending channel section member.

4. The apparatus specified in claim 1, including said spacer elements which are in the form of two fiat elements superimposed on one another and lightly held together.

5. The apparatus specified in claim 1, and including means for returning spacer elements from the downstream end of said guide to the spacer element feeding means.

6. A method of packaging bags comprising the steps of providing a star-wheel comprising spaced apart flanges mounted for rotation in a given direction about an axis, an inner rim spaced inwardly from the periphery of such flanges and extending between the latter and a plurality of wings spaced around the rim between the flanges and each extending from the rim to the periphery in a rearwardly inclined direction with respect to said direction of rotation of the wheel, the wings, rim and flanges defining therebetween a plurality of open topped pockets, and further providing a radially extending guide adjacent said starwheel; feeding bags to the individual pockets of the starwheel; feeding spacer elements intermittently to spaced apart ones of said star-wheel pockets and removing the spacer elements together with said bags along said guide in Cit face-to-face relation, rotation of said star-wheel being effective to move said bags and spacer elements along said guide by pressure of the wings on the bags on said guide, and forming a package about groups of bags on said guide, such groups being delimited by a pair of successive spacer elements.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said bags are collected into groups between said spacer elements on said guide, so that a small gap is left between the end bags of adjacent groups and fitting an open bottomed carton over a group whereby at least one said spacer element of said group remains outside said carton.

8. The metod of claim 6, wherein said spacer elements consists of two flat elements superimposed on one another and lightly held together, said bags are collected into groups between the spacer elements and an open bottomed carton is fitted over each group so that the end walls of the carton are effective to sever the flat elements from one another whereby one is positioned inside the carton and the other outside.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said spacer elements consist of two flat elements superimposed on one another and lightly held toegther, groups of bags and spacer elements are wrapped in a flexible wrapping material, the wrapping material is secured to each spacer element around its periphery and the to flat elements of each spacer element are severed from one another to form package end walls.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 292,938 2/ 1914 Germany.

205,226 10/ 1923 Great Britain. 343,586 2/ 1931 Great Britain.

TRERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 53-159 

